Nigerians react as Anthony Joshua gets special treatment for national ID card

Nigerians have expressed their displeasure at the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) as boxer, Anthony Joshua, was given preferential treatment after he applied for his National Identity Card. 

A cross-section of Nigerians took to social media and accused the government institution responsible of taking bribe after it posted photos of the British-Nigerian boxer registering for the Nigerian national identity card.

“Anthony Joshua enrolls for National Identification Number and issued his NIN slip,” NIMC tweeted late Tuesday.

The commission posted photos of the world heavyweight champion during registration. It also issued Joshua with the slip immediately after registration.

The registration exercise which began in Feb. 2003 has been saddled with manual, administrative and technical issues. 

Since its introduction, The Guardian reports that the seamless registration and issuance process for Joshua is not the same experience for millions of Nigerians.

Despite the shortcomings, the Nigerian government has made the National Identity Number in the national ID card, a requirement for all financial dealings in the country.

According to The Guardian, Nigerians at different times have lamented the difficulties in the registration process. In many parts of the country, especially Lagos, citizens arrive at registration points as early as 4:00 am. They are sometimes asked to leave without completing the registration by NIMC officials to return another day.

Born in Watford, Hertfordshire, Anthony Joshua, is known for his loyalty, humility, and love for his home country. He has deep Nigerian roots through his Nigerian-Irish father, Robert Joshua, and mother, Yetunde Odusanya who are both from Sagamu, Ogun state.

Early this year, Joshua, who is proud of his Nigerian origin, was spotted in a trending video prostrating fully for the Nigerian leader,  Muhammadu Buhari to show his respect. His actions attracted accolades from the president’s aides and family members and also generated reactions from social media users.

That was the first time Buhari met Joshua since he regained his IBF, WBA, and WBO title belt from Andy Ruiz in December.

The British boxer also spoke about his pride in the nation during the meeting with Buhari. 

See reactions below: